“When we’re talking about equality of access and equality of outcomes that equality has to begin with recognising that they’re not on a level playing field so saying that we’re very fair and we treat kids all equally, there has to be a recognition that all children aren’t coming from the same starting point and particularly for Traveller families working in Labre Park. It is not a level playing field.”

She said austerity has hit Travellers more than any other group. She explained there used to be posts known as ‘visiting teachers’ for Travellers and their job included liaising with families, schools and other support services but those posts were abolished.

“When I came to Ballyfermot Traveller Action Project in 2009, Labre Park had just seen the first two Traveller girls from Labre Park complete their Leaving Cert and the first Traveller boy from Labre Park completed his Junior Cert.

“It had become the norm for Traveller girls to remain in secondary school up until the Leaving Cert with a range of supports in place and with Traveller boys it was becoming the norm to stay in school to at least second year and third year and transfer was becoming automatic from primary to secondary school.

“Now it has gone right back. We are struggling to keep Traveller girls in school until Junior Cert and we do not have any Traveller boy locally in second year in secondary school.”

St John’s secondary school is taking 38 first years this week and said its first year classes are now full.

Since his rejection Paddy has applied to other schools but they have been turned down too.

“All the class are going. How am I different to the rest of them?” Paddy said on Morning Ireland.

He said he liked primary school and his favourite subject was maths.

“I want to meet new friends and play about at lunch break.”

Paddy was recently diagnosed with a mild general learning difficulty but 17 years ago his aunt Sally was also diagnosed with the learning difficulty and is about the graduate from Maynooth University with a 2:1 degree.

“When I was in primary school I got the exact same diagnosis. They always held me back. I always had this thing in my head that I couldn’t go any further because I had a learning difficulty,” Sally told Morning Ireland.

She praised supports from the youth service that “believed and pushed” her.

“Paddy should have the right to go to St John’s in Ballyfermot like the rest of his classmates,” she said.